On May 10th I took both of my pups to the veterinarian for their annual check-ups. I use the term pups, but in reality Gavin, our Cairn Terrier, is twelve, and Machiavelli (Machi), our West Highland White Terrier, will turn ten in August. Their health check went well, with the vet recommending a teeth cleaning by fall at the latest. I’ve grown accustomed to our terriers needing their teeth cleaned about every fourteen to sixteen months, so no concerns - appointment booked for the morning of June 20th. Our Westie passed with flying colors; sadly, however, our Cairn did not fare as well… The vet detected a small “mass” in his mouth, which he extracted three teeth from the area as needed. A referral was made to MedVet, originally to see their dental team, which then turned into an oncology appointment… Optimism out the window for sure… Fortunately we were able to secure an appointment the afternoon of June 30th, which I worryingly transported Gavin to.
After checking in Gavin and I took a stroll outside, and were called in a few moments later. He and I were taken to a nearby exam room by a technician, and greeted by an oncology team member. After an initial intake and questionnaire, their team took Gavin in the back for a quick check of his mouth, leaving me and my thoughts alone in the room… After ten minutes, their team comes back noting that they’re 99% positive the growth is cancer, possibly melanoma, and that such may have already spread from his mouth to orbital bone / eye socket, and that it may be present in his lungs. At this point my only goal is to obtain information; happy to pay whatever cost for the sedation, needle biopsy, and radiology recommendations.
I leave Gavin in their carefully trained hands. Two hours later I receive a call from their reception team gleefully saying Gavin is awake, and that I may come back to pick him up and chat with the team to discuss their findings. Long story short - cancer is a fibrosarcoma, lungs are clear, and that they expect Gavin to live another three to six months depending on how the tumor continues to grow.
Options:
Surgery to remove the mass, which would be extremely invasive. I immediately decline this offer, as I would not feel comfortable removing half of my dog’s mouth and possibly an eye… What kind of quality of life would he have?
Chemotherapy, which they openly note has a limited effect against oral sarcomas. Pass.
Prescription to assist with pain management and possibly slow the cancer’s growth. Originally offered liquid form of Meloxicam, but asked for a tablet version. Fortunately Deramaxx (Deracoxib) exists (think Advil / an NSAID for humans), which we opt for. Gavin will require a chemistry panel every four to six weeks to ensure all is well - next appointment scheduled for August 14th. Picked up prescription this morning after being informed it was ready. First dose administered this afternoon.
Prescription chemotherapy (Cyclophosphamide). Hesitant on this initially as my wife is currently expecting our second child to arrive in December. After being granted an all clear from her OB doctor, I ordered the prescription (whose side effects made me cry just reading through), and are currently still on the fence about administering this medication to him. Are these side effects worth another month of Gavin simply existing rather than living?
Have felt heartbroken the past two weeks to the say the least. Hopefully we can help him reach age thirteen in early January, but we shall see. All I can do for now is make the most of our remaining time together - morning dog park visits (weather permitting), delicious treats, and cuddles. <3 Not looking forward to the road ahead, but that’s life… I plan on documenting this journey for my own future reflection. For now, Gavin remains in good spirits, and no noticeable changes in him except those one would normally expect to see in a dog of his age. Without the testing, I would have no idea there were any medical issues or concerns with him.
More to come.
